Goat depots and the NLIS

Goat depots are Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) accredited properties used to consolidate significant numbers of goats for marketing purposes. Goat depots are identified under the Biosecurity Act 2014 as a registrable biosecurity entity and must comply with National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) requirements.

Registrable biosecurity entities must register with Biosecurity Queensland to be allocated a property identification code (PIC) for livestock traceability purposes.

A goat depot must:

• use the goat depot PIC only for running goats associated with the depot
• agree to participate in an annual LPA audit
• have a letter from a goat meat processor indicating that the goat depot is, or will be, a supplier on a commercial basis
• have an NLIS goat depot account.

NLIS tagging requirements

All farmed goats must be identified with an approved NLIS device before travelling to a goat depot.

Harvested rangeland goats do not require an NLIS tag when travelling direct to a goat depot from the property from which they were harvested where the depot operator has an Inspector's approval in place.

A harvested rangeland goat is defined as a goat moved directly from a place where it is living in a wild state i.e. it has not been born as a result of a breeding program and has not been subjected to husbandry procedures. Rangeland goats include kids born in a depot to captured does as a result of un-managed mating with feral bucks.

The depot must, within 10 days of receiving, either identify the goats with an approved post-breeder NLIS tag (bearing the goat depots PIC) or consign them directly to an abattoir for slaughter. All other movements to another goat depot or property will require the goats to be tagged with an approved NLIS device.

Movement records

All livestock movements must be accompanied by a movement record from the property of origin to the goat depot.

A copy of the movement record must be kept by the goat depot for 5 years.

Reporting to the NLIS database

It is the depot operator's responsibility to report all goat movements to the NLIS database within 48 hours of the goats arriving at and departing the depot.

To report to the NLIS database depot operators must register for a 'goat depot' NLIS account. To register for a 'goat depot' account visit the NLIS website. If you require further assistance contact the NLIS helpdesk on 1800 654 743.

MLA tech tips (PDF, 4.5MB) are available on the NLIS database to assist 'goat depots' with their NLIS reporting requirements.

Reporting goat movements

Mob based movements

Goat movements are reported using the 'mob based movement' function which can be found in the 'goat depot' account. A 'mob based movement onto PIC' and a 'mob based movement off PIC' must be completed for each mob.

The following information must be reported when completing a 'mob based movement':

• date of movement
• from PIC
• to PIC
• number of goats
• movement record number
• the PIC of any place (other than departure PIC) shown on the movement record (other PICs)
• if the goats have been vendor-bred, or not.

Also consider...

• Watch a short video on the National Livestock Identification System.